Jamaica’s primary ice producer, Pure National Limited has sought to provide further clarification regarding its importation of ice and the associated price increase to consumers.

The clarification follows concerns raised by customers regarding a hike in the price of party ice.

It also follows public outrage yesterday after the industry ministry confirmed that it gave approval for the importation of ice, for six months.

In a statement, Pure National Limited said a fire at its facility in November led to the complete loss of production and storage capacity at the plant, creating a significant gap in the supply of ice throughout the island.

Director Khary Robinson explained that despite efforts to resume production quickly and get ice back into the market, the company found that local suppliers were not able to fill the void.

To address the urgent demand for ice, Robinson said Pure National sought supplies from a large-scale producer in the United States, which had the capacity and also met food safety requirements.

Mr. Robinson noted further that unfortunately, the costs associated with importing ice, far exceeded local production costs.

These costs include trucking, shipping and government clearance.

As a result, the company implemented a price increase of between $100 and $200 per bag to cover the increased sourcing and delivery expenses.

Mr. Robinson said the current supply and demand mis-match is affecting pricing across various sectors of the ice market.

He assured that the company is working with stakeholders, including government entities to stabilize pricing, as quickly as possible.

The director added that the ultimate goal is to rebuild the production facility, which will allow the company to lower production costs and return price to previous levels.